In two recent mass shootings, last November at First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs, Texas, and last week at Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., we have seen a total of 43 people killed and another 34 wounded.
The slaughter of these innocents is inexcusable.
In the Texas case, the perpetrator committed suicide after having been shot and then pursued by a nearby resident. In the Florida case, the perpetrator was captured shortly after the attack, and will be processed through the criminal justice system.

South Carolina Supreme Court Chief Justice Donald Beatty is a former state House member. So is James Lockemy, chief judge of the S.C. Court of Appeals, the state’s second-highest court.
The road from the State House to the courthouse historically has been an easy one, as The Nerve has previously reported. Last week, the legislature, which has 52 lawyer-lawmakers, or 30 percent of the 170-member body, continued their tradition of nepotism in the latest round of judicial elections.

Fifty years ago today, Rep. Rankin Fite, speaker of the Alabama House, placed the first 911 call from the Haleyville City Hall.
From that small beginning, 911 technology has continually evolved, becoming an essential part of public safety across America. Each advancement has improved our nation’s ability to get faster, more reliable information to first responders so they can do their job of saving lives and property.

I will be voting “yes” for the town of Indian Land.
I have no connection to the organizers on either side of this issue. But to me, the decision is fairly simple.
We need representation on decisions that affect our community. At present, we are out-voted on the Lancaster County Council, usually 5-2, and we will not gain a majority even if we pick up another Indian Land seat after the next census. There is no way in the foreseeable future to have any semblance of being adequately represented on the council.

Another overdose, again? This seems to be the question you hear over and over lately.
In all my almost 40 years, I have never recalled seeing or hearing of this many people dying from an apparent overdose within a year or so in our area alone. The ages seem to range from the teens to the 50s for the most part.
It’s no longer that someone died from a gang-related shooting, but from this. I work at The Lancaster News and in my position I deal with obituaries and have to enter these people’s names into our computer system.

In the spring of 2004, living in Charlotte, I found myself in a serious mid-life crisis. I prayed for change, a new walk, with new friends that loved and cared about God.
While I hoped that my prayers were heard, my father offered an invitation for me to move to Lancaster, attend his church and start afresh.
I thought: Lancaster, South Carolina? Not on your life.
But, after more praying and another few weeks of hell, I decided to take him up on his offer. You see, I’d told God that whatever offer he had for me, I would accept it no matter where it was.

In order to establish an area for incorporation, S.C. law states that there must be a density of 300 people per square mile before incorporation can even be proposed.
When you have subdivisions such as Sun City, Walnut Creek and Treetops, you can expand the area you are trying to incorporate much farther south because of the density in those neighborhoods.

It is hard to believe we are already through the first month of the 2018 General Assembly session. Our workload has steadily picked up as bills are beginning to make their way through the committee process and onto the floor, in addition to legislation not resolved from last year.
I wanted to give a quick update on what we’re doing at the State House on some important issues:

School buses
On the first day of the session, I was proud to override Gov. McMaster’s veto of funding for new school buses for our students.

The Kershaw Community Park Council is partnering with the town of Kershaw to build a custom-designed historic “destination playground” within Stevens Park.
Our community recently suffered the loss of our very special playground, and the impact of that loss has been hugely significant for those residing in the southern end of Lancaster County.